This one was okay. An enjoyable witch themed paranormal romance set in the Deep South. Big mansions, perfect southern manners and spooky history, The main character moves to live with her previously unknown grandmother after the death of her last remaining parent and discovers a family legacy and history she never knew about. Insta-friends with the quirkily twins next door and before long a swoony love interest enters the picture. There was nothing in this that I haven't seen told one way or another, but the book was well written and the story was enjoyable if a little predictable.

This was a really good read. A young girl who lives with her father suffers a devastating loss and is taken to America to live with the grandmother she didnt know existed. She goes to Savannah and finds out that her family is pretty wealthy, but her aunt hates her, and her grandmother is hiding huge secrets from her, the biggest one being is that she is a witch.

I had a lot of fun reading this book, its young adult with no sex which is refreshing to read so suitable for younger readers, although there are a few fights with werewolves that might be a bit scary for younger readers.

An engaging read that keeps the reader engaged throughout.

A fun and spooky read with just the right mix of mystery and humour. Kelk’s charming style makes the eerie legend of the Bell Witches feel fresh and engaging, though at times the pacing dips a little. Perfect for a cosy, slightly creepy read that’s more about atmosphere than scares.

Great if you love light paranormal tales with a twist of wit!

#TheBellWitches #LindseyKelk #FourStarRead #ParanormalFiction #BookstagramUK #CozyReads #SpookyStories

I’ve seen this book all over social media, so my expectations were quite high. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The novel is well-written, and the story is interesting, but it lacks originality or uniqueness.

I was invested in Emily’s story, especially at the beginning, when she came to Savannah. Many family secrets are gradually uncovered, keeping the reader interested in the plot. After the initial pages, I thought the story would be more mysterious or gothic. I soon realised this story does not stand out from the mass of YA fantasy novels published yearly. It follows a very familiar pattern of supernatural, forbidden love, and family ties.

Despite that, I believe the series will find its faithful readers.

Thank you for my earc of this book. I love LK so was excited to see what her fantasy debut would be like. I had a great time with the book and think it’s a good start to a series. This shows how versatile LK is!

i love witches sm!! i love lindsey kelk sm!!!!! i feel so blessed to receive such incredible books !!!! thank u

This was an interesting read as it’s very different from Lindsey Kelks romances. It was perfect for the spooky season and is a YA read with depth. I also appreciated the small town vibes and magic

This was an easy witchy read which was light on the fantasy and heavier on the romance.

Thank you for an advanced reader copy of this book.

A book about coming to age, grief, friendship and mysteries. A good novel, excellent storytelling, fleshed out characters
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

THE BELL WITCHES was a fascinating novel about witches and magic. I liked that it was set in our world, which made it even cooler. The characters were great and I liked the dynamics between Emily and her love interest, Wyn. This book is perfect for the YA Fantasy genre, and I can't wait to read more books by the author.

The Bell Witches follows Emily who is whisked to Savannah, Georgia to live with the only family she has left following her father’s tragic death and the journey she undergoes to forge a bond with magic. This book is part of an unfinished series called Savannah Red.

This book held a very intriguing description for me due to the mystery of a magical family secret and the hint of romance we receive. I also very much love any book which has witches in the title or the description as I find the topic very enjoyable to read about.

The writing style was OK however the modern dialogue was very jarring and would pull me straight out of being immersed in the world. The book felt like it belonged in a different time; however the constant references to modern day brands and “slang” stopped it from being as magical and whimsical as I expected it to be.

The romance also was nothing to be admired. Emily and Wyn are the definition of insta-love. They fell in love rapidly and seemingly over nothing. Neither of them went out of their way to charm one another and it just didn’t feel authentic. It also didn’t help the story that the family was not keen on Wyn from the get-go and therefore it didn’t take long to predict that this was because Wyn was a supernatural entity. It would have benefited greatly from a slow-burn between the two rather than the see-one-another-once-and-say-I-love-you that was received. I will, however, admit that my younger self would’ve snatched this up so perhaps my adult self is a pessimist.

My main issue with the book though was that it did not grab or hold my attention in any way. The plot points went from slow to inconsequential to nowhere to be seen and there was little to no fantasy within the book. I felt like the magical element was barely there. This did need more fleshing out and the characters needed more development in order to keep them exciting for the reader. Everything just felt a little too plain.

Overall, I think this book would be more suitable for those who like insta-love.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a review.

This was wonderfully well written and super entertaining. I read it super fast because it was just so hard to put down and the characters and story itself was just so well written and addictive.

This book was very slow-paced to the extent of being boring. Every scene feels like a filler scene and there was no real action, a lot of waiting around for things to happen. I literally was writhing with pain from how excruciatingly slow this book was. It really did nothing for me.

Great premise, with a strong start, however The Bell Witches didn't quite meet the mark for me. The insta-love was a little offputting; that may be a 'me thing' though as it's my least favourite trope, particularly within the YA genre. I did very much enjoy the twists we encountered. I think this perhaps skews more towards the younger end of YA, perhaps even more suited to middle-grade in parts.

Though this is the first Lindsey Kelk’s book I've read, it most definitely isn't the right one. Now, I have to say I struggled at the beginning which made me postpone this reading experience for a few months. But I'm glad I did so, because when I finally got back to it, my witchy heart loved every second of it. I'm more than excited for the sequel, and I'm looking forward to be reunited with this atmospheric gothic fantasy.

I’ve always been a huge fan of Lindsey, so I jumped at the chance to read her latest book. The Bell Witches marks her venture into gothic fantasy, and it's a truly compelling one.

The story centers on Emily, a sixteen-year-old who, after the tragic loss of her father, finds herself relocating from a remote village in Wales to Savannah, Georgia, living with previously unknown family members.

As she settles into her new surroundings, Emily starts to uncover the Bell family’s secrets, and the magic that lies within her. The slow burn romantic tension between Emily and Wyn was also a nice contrast to the darker elements of the storyline.

The Bell Witches is the perfect blend of gothic atmosphere, magical intrigue, and simmering romance. It’s a promising start to the series, and I’m excited to see what’s in store in the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Fiction for the advance reader copy.

The Bell Witches starts off a lot more interesting and engaging than it ends with. There’s a point around 30% in where I didn’t know where the story was going and why I should keep reading.

There’s a weird insta love that I think makes the story fall off in my opinion.

A lot of the ‘twists’ are easy to spot before they’re revealed in the third act of the book and I do wonder if this should be aimed at the younger range of YA.

Overall an easy enough read but a lot of things could have made it better.

This a 2.5⭐️ review rounded up to 3.

Sadly, the format for this book was all over the place on my kindle so I was unable to read it! I've heard such amazing things from friends with the same reading taste as me, so I have no doubt it's an amazing read.

I really enjoyed this YA fantasy/romance. I’ve been a huge Lindsey Kelk fan since I was a teenager so seeing this delve into a new genre was exciting for me.

Protagonist Emily loses her father and gains a family she didn’t know about. Sent to Savannah to live with her estranged grandmother and aunt, Emily is rapidly thrown into a world of mystery and witchcraft. The plants are talking to her, her grandmother doesn’t fully seem to add up and why had her parents hid her from this side of her life?

A brilliant set up for the trilogy, can’t wait for the next one.

I loved this read! The world building and storyline development was really well done and the characters really brought the story to life. The way this novel is written was beautifully done, the story gripped me from the off set and I really got sucked into to the novel, I couldn't put it down.